To Adopt a Child
by Cissa The Bookworm
Summary: Remember that little boy all the way in season one of Arrow by the name of Taylor Moore. Yeah, it's okay if you don't. His parents have just died and of course he needs someone to take care of him, who better than Olivarry. Add in a semi-secret romance and you've got yourself a story.


**Summary: Remember that little boy all the way in season one of Arrow by the name of Taylor Moore. Yeah, it's okay if you don't. His parents have just died and of course he needs someone to take care of him, who better than Olivarry. Add in a semi-secret romance and you've got yourself a story.**

Laurel gasped in a deep breath of air. It has been a rough day and finding out bad news made it even worse. "I just heard from the Child Services worker."

"What did they say?" Moira asks.

"She said that they've contacted the grandparents and that they can't take care of him. They wish they could, but Taylor's grandfather is really ill and he's not expected to make it. And his grandmother was being taken care of by her husband and she can't live at home by herself. Taylor will have to go into foster care."

"What? Oh, that's terrible!" Moria put her hand up to cover her mouth in shock. "Isn't there any other living relatives that can take care of him?"

Laurel shook her head sadly, "No. Neither of Taylor's parents had siblings and the other set of grandparents have already passed away."

"Who has passed away?" An unfamiliar voice asked from the doorway of the sitting room.

"Oh, Barry!" Moria called, "It's just horrible. Laurel and Tommy have been watching Taylor, you know, and he has no living relatives that can take him in. He'll have to go into foster care."

"The boy whose parents were murdered?" The man, Barry, asked.

Moira nodded sadly, "It's just horrible."

"Where's Oliver?" Barry questioned.

"In his room, I believe."

"Right here." Oliver said, calmly walking into the room and wrapping his arm around Barry, "How was work?"

Barry huffed, "Fine. But that's not what is important at the moment."

Oliver frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Taylor." Laurel cut in, "He has no one that can take him in. He'll have to go to foster care."

Oliver looked at Barry who was staring at him with sad, doe eyes. "No. Barry, we can't."

"And why not?" Barry demanded. "I won't let some kid go into foster care if I can help it. My foster dad didn't let me get sent into the broad system. He provided me with a stable and loving home and that was what probably kept me normal and sane after my mom was murdered. I just want to do the same for a little boy who lost both of his parents."

"Barry-"

"NO!" Barry exclaimed, startling Moria and Laurel. "I won't let you make some lame excuse. Oliver please just….think about it." Barry sniffed, "I'm going to go start dinner. Are our guests staying?"

Oliver nodded stiffly as Barry pulled out from under his grasp and stalked off into the kitchen. Oliver closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. Moria laughed, "Well, it looks like I will have grandkids after all. Barry's spoken Oliver, I don't think you'd want to make him mad."

"Mom, I just don't think that-"

"That what?" Moria questioned, "You'd make a good father? Oliver, you're not the best at people relations, but you are excellent when it comes to kids. Always have been. You were the star at all of Thea's birthday parties; kids would flock to you. It's a gift." Moira smiled, "You already know how I feel about the two of you together. Barry is good for you and he's good for this household. I've forgotten how a home is supposed to feel, but Barry has brought laughter and light back into this old house."

Moria touched Oliver's cheek lovingly before she too walked out of the sitting room. "So," Laurel started, "who's Barry exactly?"

Much to Laurel's immense surprise, Oliver blushes. "He's ah-"

"He's Oliver's fiance." Thea says breezily as she waltzed into the sitting room. "They're so adorable together it's disgusting."

Laurel made a face, "And you forgot to mention to me you got engaged."

"It hasn't come up." Oliver says stonily.

"Oliver!" Laurel scolds.

"What are you yelling at Oliver for this time?" Tommy asks, walking in with Taylor trailing behind.

"Oliver's engaged and he forgot to tell us." Laurel accused.

Oliver, now looking uncomfortable, tries to make a break for it, only to be road blocked by his fiance. "Oh, you're not getting out of this." Barry says, a snarl on his lips.

Thea snickers from her perch on one of the high-backed chairs, "I love it when you get feisty, nerd."

Barry blushes. "That was not how I meant it to be like, I'm just mad and upset and confused and a little hungry and it's been too long since I've been able to spend the weekend in Starling and I've just missed you and I don't want anything bad to happen to-"

Oliver cuts off Barry with a kiss. "You babble too much."

Barry blushes again, "Sorry."

"It's cute." Oliver laughs. "Barry, I-"

"No, no it's okay. I know it's way too soon and we haven't even got married yet, so it would be a bit strange. But I just wanted-"

"Barry! Barry." Oliver continues softer, "I'd do anything to make you happy, you know that right?" At Barry's nod, he continues to talk, "And if this is what makes you happy, then we'll go for it."

"Go for what?" Tommy questions as Barry slips over to Taylor.

"Yeah," Thea says, "This doesn't sound strange and questionable at all."

During the couple's babbling, Moria had re entered the sitting room and taken a chair near Thea, "I think it's a wonderful idea."

Barry laughs as he slips over to sit down next to Taylor, "You just want grandkids."

Moria shrugs, "And?"

Laurel joins Moira in laughing and it takes a few minutes for the two to stop giggling. "It's not a bad idea." Laurel comments, "I think it could work."

"What's not a bad idea?" Tommy all but shouts.

"Adopting Taylor." Oliver replies.

Everyone turns to look at Taylor who was playing a rousing game of hangman with Barry. "No! That's not the way it goes!" Taylor exclaims.

Barry laughs, "So how does it go then?"

"You're supposed to draw a hat and shoes and gloves before he dies!"

"I suppose you're right!" Barry agrees, "We can't have our hangman dying with no clothes on can we?"

"Nope!" Taylor smiles enthusiastically, blissfully unaware of all the adults looking at him. "Now, c'mon, I wanna guess more letters!"

"Okay, okay!" Barry smiles, "One hat for our hangman! What do you want to guess next?"

"A!"

"You just guessed a, you can't guess the same letter twice!"

"But what if you changed the word?"

Barry laughs, "I haven't changed the word, I promise."

Taylor sighs, "Okay then, I guess I guess the letter…..G!"

"And there's a shoe for your hangman." Barry comments, drawing a box on the stick figures foot.

Taylor slumps, defeated, "I give up! I don't know what it is!"

"Do you want me to tell you?" Barry asks.

"No!"

Barry smiles, "I guess that means more guessing!"

"But I don't know what to guess!"

Oliver comes up behind Taylor to look at the paper and hides a grin, "Guess 't'."

"T?" Taylor follows Oliver's directions.

"You got it!" Barry places the t in the correct spot so the paper reads T-a-y with three blanks at the end. "Can you guess what the word is?"

"F?"

Oliver snorts, "It's your name."

Taylor blushes, "Oh, yeah, I guess that could be it."

Barry laughs, "Would you like to help me make supper, Taylor?"

"Yeah! What are we having?"

"What would you like to have?"

"Mac and cheese? And hot dogs and and…" Taylor trails off, "Is that okay?"

Barry smiles, "That sounds perfect. C'mon." Barry and Taylor get up and walk hand-in-hand to the kitchen to work on making the food. "You coming Ollie?" Barry calls over his shoulder.

Oliver rolls his eyes, "Wouldn't miss it for the world." He murmurs as he trails after his fiance and Taylor.

"He's totally whipped isn't he?" Tommy comments, in awe of how domestic his former best friend seemed.

Thea smiles, "Yeah, he's always like that when Barry's around. I'm surprised he hasn't moved to Central yet."

"Why would he move there?" Laurel asks.

"Barry lives in Central City. They trade off who visits the other's city every weekend." Thea explains, "Which is awesome for me because Central has an amazing shopping district."

"I think I know why he hasn't moved." Tommy says to himself, "And I can't believe he's letting that stop him."

Laurel gives Tommy a look, "And why hasn't Oliver moved?"

Tommy startled, "Obviously his family is here and he hasn't been back too long yet. And the club…"

Moira laughed, "I think you're looking too much into it, Tommy. Oliver has been busy trying to convince Barry to transfer to the SCPD or let him open a QC branch in Central. So far Barry hasn't given in to either option."

Barry slips back into the room, "Moira, I'm terribly sorry, but I forgot to mention that Joe and Iris are visiting tonight. They just called and said they were about ten minutes out."

"No trouble at all, I'll make sure their guest rooms are clean, you just worry about supper. And keeping your boys out of trouble." Moira smiled, patting Barry on the cheek as she walks out of the sitting room to go check on the guest rooms. 

"Well," Thea starts to sneak out of the room, "I better go freshen up for dinner."

"Thea-"

"You'll be fine Barry!" Thea calls over her shoulder.

Barry nervously glanced between Tommy and Laurel, "Hi." He awkwardly said. "I'm sure Ollie hasn't talked about me much."

Tommy snorted, "You would be correct. It's very nice to meet you, I'm Tommy Merlyn."

"Laurel Lance." Laurel gave Barry and encouraging smile.

Barry still looked slightly terrified, "I'm Barry. Allen." Barry scratched the back of his neck in discomfort and gave a little uncomfortable chuckle, "I better go make sure Oliver and Taylor haven't started a fire."

Barry ran off to the kitchen. "He seems nice." Tommy comments dryly.

"Oliver seems captivated by him." Laurel replies, "I haven't seen him that happy since he came back from the island."

Tommy nodded in agreement, "You're right."

"And they'll make a cute family." Laurel continues.

Tommy hums, "They sure will."

"I guess we'll be meeting the rest of the family soon enough." Laurel sighs, "It's nice they finally clued us in. I hate that Oliver is so closed off."

"You and me both." Tommy mutters. "But at least now we might be a real part of his life again."

Laurel smiles, "Perhaps we will and we can be one big family."

"That's pretty sappy." Tommy points out.

Laurel shrugs, "I don't care. It's a happy thought and Lord knows we could all use more of those."

"I'd drink to that."


End file.
